Closing Cocos
Fleck
Thu 17 May 2012 08:33
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Thursday, 17th May, 2012
Position 11:23S 98:36E
112 miles to Cocos Keeling, but it will be touch
and go to see if I can get safely in there before nightfall
tomorrow, otherwise it will be another night flopping about in the
Ocean, knowing that a snug berth has eluded us once again! The phrase 'time your
arrival for daylight' is meaningless: you press on as much as is reasonable,
then see what the weather does to your plans over the final 24 hours. So
far we have had two rough days, breasting heavy seas, and now two pleasant days:
today best of all, blue skies with trade wind clouds dotted about and 15 kts of
wind; just right for sailing, but very hot in the cockpit, spend much time
below, in front of the mini fan, reading a History of Jerusalem: gosh, we think
the Middle East is tricky now?! During the bad weather all the old deck
leaks round the chainplates opened up again, despite weeks working on them in
Singapore. It is depressing when such seemingly small things interfere with your
mood (but a bunk full of sea water is not trivial!). Now that we are well clear
of the Indonesian Coast there is no other sea traffic: no fishing boats, no
tankers. If you wanted to go from any big port to any other big port you
wouldn't go via Cocos Keeling! It is part of Australia, so hoping they won't
confiscate too much of my larder, and that somehow I will be able to pay my way
(I am short on AU$, and there are no ATM's. relying on Uncle Sam!) Particularly
worried about my eggs; I need one to bake my birthday cake, but They will want
to take them all away. H'm.
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